Enhancing the resilience of African landscapes, lives, and livelihoods

18-19 February 2015. Addis Abeba. The twelve country project teams that form the World Bank/Global Environment Facility Sahel and West Africa Program (SAWAP) in support of the Great Green Wall met at the Africa Union to share knowledge and best practices to enhance the resilience of African landscapes, lives, and livelihoods – especially the poorest who deeply depend on natural resources for environmental and food security.

SAWAP, a $1.1 billion flexible investment umbrella with 12 country-led investment operations, is theWorld Bank and GEF’s contribution to the African initiative to help transform the region into a stable, sustainable, resilient region. The program was developed in 2011 under the TerrAfrica partnership, and is reinforced by a regional hub project Building Resilience through Innovation, Communication and Knowledge Services (BRICKS). With the support of Connect4Climate BRICKS facilitates cooperation among the country projects and Great Green Wall partners on operational problems and solutions facing country project teams.

The World Bank partnered with 12 countries and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). These countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and Togo.